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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28735518">Arbor Argentea</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nisa/pseuds/Nisa'>Nisa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, And Gets Much More Than That, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Jedi in Love (Star Wars), M/M, Misunderstandings, OTP of the Force, Planet Mandalore (Star Wars), Solstice, holiday celebration</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:56:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,153</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28735518</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nisa/pseuds/Nisa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>With Obi-Wan away on a mission, Anakin's only plan for Solstice Night is to get drunk, but the Force has some unexpected gifts for him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>172</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Arbor Argentea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/temple_mistress/gifts">temple_mistress</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you so much for all your help, support and encouragement, for your kindness, for the inspiration and for being such an amazing friend! ❤️</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anakin swirled his glass absent-mindedly, staring at the dark-red wine that seemed to match the walls and the tablecloth. This wine must have been extortionate, like everything else on the Chancellor's table. If Obi-Wan had been there, he might have appreciated it, saying something about the <em>exquisite floral aroma</em>, or <em>bouquet</em> or whatever it was. Anakin wouldn't be able to tell the difference between this and the swill served on the lowest levels of Coruscant. He couldn't care less - all he wanted was to get drunk.</p><p>He downed the wine in one gulp like he had seen the clones down the cheap booze on nameless planets after losing half of their brothers, and darkly looked around the spacious hall. He had honestly no idea what he was doing there, among dignitaries and high ranking politicians, but declining the Chancellor's invitation seemed impolite, and it wasn't like he had any other options for the Solstice night.</p><p>His eyes met with the Chancellor over the table and he saw Palpatine say something to the guard sitting in the chair next to him. Wordlessly, the guard rose and stepped back, and the Chancellor made a gesture to Anakin to come and sit beside him. Well, that made sense. If anything, Anakin wasn't a bad replacement for a bodyguard. </p><p>"You seem to be preoccupied, my boy," said the older man with a worried look and a fatherly smile when Anakin sat down.</p><p>At least someone cared.</p><p>Anakin shook his head. "I'm fine, Chancellor."</p><p>A servant came and poured him another glass of wine, and Anakin downed it like the first one.</p><p>"I take it the Jedi don't have the tradition to celebrate the Solstice?" Palpatine asked with earnest curiosity.</p><p>Anakin shrugged sullenly.</p><p>"Things like that shouldn’t matter to us."</p><p>"I see. So this is why Master Kenobi is off planet on a day like that? Because it's just another day?"</p><p>Anakin remembered Obi-Wan's apologetic look earlier this morning as his Master was explaining that he would have to stay on Mandalore for another couple of days. Was it really apologetic or was Anakin imagining things the way he wanted them to be?</p><p>"Obi-Wan has been delayed on a mission on Mandalore," he said more gloomily than he intended.</p><p>"Of course. Duty comes first for any Jedi, especially for an exemplary one like Master Kenobi. It is above everything and everyone."</p><p>Anakin nodded without looking at the other man and reached out for another drink.</p><p>"This makes me appreciate your willingness to join my humble party even more," the Chancellor said kindly. "I admit the austere ways of your noble Order are mostly a mystery to me, but I know that the Jedi have no attachments. No wonder Solstice has no special meaning. But for common people like myself, Solstice Night is time to gather with family and loved ones, and you are truly dear to me, so I'm glad that you are here."</p><p><em>He's right</em>, Anakin thought bitterly. Time for family and loved ones, and the Jedi didn't really care. Even Obi-Wan. At least Palpatine did.</p><p>"Thank you, Chancellor."</p><p>Palpatine smiled dreamily. "By the way, did you know that they have some unique ways to celebrate Solstice on Mandalore? Like there's that tree... I cannot recall the name. It has the loveliest silvery-white flowers that glow softly in the dark. And it starts to bloom right by the time of Solstice. So out of this was born a charming tradition - if lovers kiss under the tree, their love will never die... Romantic, isn't it? Who would blame Master Kenobi if he chose to stay for an extra day or two to witness this..."</p><p>Anakin's heart sank.  Even months later he could remember more vividly than he wished standing on that landing platform, an unwilling witness to a touching goodbye. Touching in more sense than one. "This beard hides too much of your handsome face," the Duchess had said, stroking Obi-Wan's cheek. Anakin would have laughed at the ridiculousness of that remark if he hadn't seen Obi-Wan blush.  Undoubtedly, that had meant something. They never spoke of that, but now everything clicked into place: the tree, the kissing, the hypocritical <em>I'm sorry, Anakin, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to Coruscant in the next couple of days</em>.</p><p>"Oh, I see," Anakin reached out for a bottle to fill his glass again.</p><p>At a wave of Palpatine's hand, music started playing. Some eternal classical masterpiece Obi-Wan would have identified in a heartbeat. Damn that man.</p><p>"But I heard that the Jedi are immune to any romantic feelings whatsoever... " Palpatine continued. "So I am certain the pleasure one of your kind would derive from the lovely Mandalorian tradition is purely aesthetic, isn't it?"</p><p>"Oh, I'm sure it is," Anakin managed through gritted teeth and rose to his feet abruptly. Suddenly this party was too much to take.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Chancellor," he said, not caring in the least about the curious looks he was getting. "I have to return to my duties at the Temple."</p><p>"This is so unfortunate! But, of course, I understand. "</p><p>Anakin could hear genuine regret in the old man's voice.  It was a little comforting to know that there was someone who cared about him, but all Anakin wanted was to be alone and bang his head against Artoo's dome. He bowed politely and turned on his heels towards the exit, raising his shields and closing them as tightly as he could. He wasn't going to let anyone witness his misery.</p><p>He had heard many times the saying about <em>drowning misery in wine</em>, but this turned out to be another lie, like the one that Obi-Wan was busy finishing his mission while in fact he was spending the night <em>deriving</em> all sorts of pleasure that could hardly be called <em>purely aesthetic</em> in the arms of a certain kriffing Duchess.  Anakin's misery didn't seem to diminish at all; quite the opposite, it was amplified. What seemed to be diminished was his ability to concentrate, and he cursed through his teeth more than once, finding his way to the Temple in the night sky between the Solstice fireworks set off by creatures of all races celebrating the Solstice.</p><p>At first he thought he would go straight to the hangar to spend the night with his only mutual love - the Delta Six, but then he decided that he needed to first fetch Artoo who was charging in their quarters.</p><p>The Temple was silent as the young man walked along the corridor. The Chancellor was right, the Jedi didn't care about lowly things like Solstice, or family, or love, and Anakin had been foolish to think of the holiday as something special. He remembered all the times he and Obi-Wan had been together on Solstice, the drinks and smiles they had shared, and how Obi-Wan would say <em>Happy Solstice, Anakin</em> in a treacherously affectionate tone, as if it had mattered. </p><p>What a liar.</p><p>And then, just before Obi-Wan left for Mandalore, that night, ephemeral like a dream, a tent on that Sith-forsaken planet under the pouring rain. The hours when they couldn't sleep after they had nearly died. The whispered words, the shy touches growing bolder, the kisses that took his breath away, the torrent of forbidden passion that had carried them away, making the reality disappear completely from Anakin's mind. Obi-Wan holding him tightly against his heart as they were falling asleep, as if it had mattered.</p><p>None of that had mattered, in fact.</p><p>Turning around a corner Anakin nearly tripped over a small maintenance droid and slammed it angrily against the wall with a push of the Force.</p><p>He had been blind all this time, but now the Chancellor had opened his eyes to the truth.</p><p>Lost deep in his dark thoughts, Anakin waved the doors to their quarters open and blinked against the bright light he hadn't been expecting to find there.</p><p>"What the hell, Artoo?" he growled and trailed off when he saw Obi-Wan.</p><p>Anakin blinked even harder, but no, it wasn't a trick of his alcohol-impaired mind. His old Master was really there, a few feet away, setting a datapad aside, rising from the couch and making a step towards Anakin with what appeared to be a genuine smile on his face.</p><p>"Hello there, Anakin," he was saying in the same treacherously warm voice that was so vivid in Anakin's tortured memory. "I was starting to think you were having so much fun somewhere you'd never come!"</p><p>Anakin shook his head in confusion, anger still burning like a flame in his chest.</p><p>"But you told me you were on Mandalore!" he said pointing an accusing finger. "You lied to me!"</p><p>At first Obi-Wan shrugged with a careless smile, but then his expression wavered as he locked his eyes with Anakin's.</p><p>"I... merely wanted to surprise you."</p><p>Then the smile died away completely, like a candle blown out by the wind, replaced by a concerned frown Anakin had seen far too often.</p><p>"I presume this was not a good idea. What happened, Anakin? You seem to be quite... upset."</p><p>The question made Anakin start to shake, his fury giving way to hotness scorching his eyelids. Obi-Wan would never understand.</p><p>"I'm all right! You don't really care, do you? And neither do I!" Anakin managed in a half-strangled voice, too proud to let himself break down in front of the other man. After all, that night Obi-Wan had only sighed in reply to Anakin's silly abundant love confessions. And when Anakin had woken up in the morning, his Master was already outside briefing the clones and barely acknowledged the younger man's presence with a nod of his head.</p><p>"You... Oh. I see. Of course. Very well."</p><p>Through the blur in his eyes, Anakin watched Obi-Wan's expression turn from concerned to hurt, his face shutting down completely. Anakin had seen this before on a few horrific occasions, when something unconceivable even for a resilient Jedi Master had happened.</p><p>There was a moment of deafening silence that felt like the void of a black hole.</p><p>Then all of a sudden Anakin realized that the savoury smell filling his nostrils was the one of spices. In some kind of a daze, he looked round the room, taking in the surroundings for the first time: the plates set on the low table, food gone cold by now, the cloudberries, the wine and a silvery box tied in a golden thread, sitting right on the edge, ready to be picked up and given to its intended.</p><p>The realization hit him hard, like droid debris smacking his head in an explosion. Not only was his Master willing to be with him on Solstice Night, he had even been planning to make it special.</p><p>Anakin squeezed his eyes tightly shut, this time allowing tears to spill over, but Obi-Wan wasn't looking at him, turning away, saying in a blank voice: "My apologies. Actually, Jedi do not celebrate Solstice."</p><p>Anakin didn't have time to ponder how he could have been so horribly wrong.  Instead, he grabbed Obi-Wan with both his hands, pulling him into a tight embrace, and pressed his face to the edge of Obi-Wan's tunic on his neck.  Obi-Wan went stiff but didn't try to extricate himself, and Anakin held him closer, inhaling deeply his Master's familiar scent and letting go of his shields.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Master," he murmured hastily. "I didn't mean what I said. Can we forget it? I just want to have this Solstice with you. Please?"</p><p>He let out a shuddering breath when he felt Obi-Wan's arms hesitantly wrap around him in a reciprocating gesture, a warm hand patting Anakin's back. Mandalore could burn in Sith hell for all Anakin cared, Obi-Wan was there with him, and the tremendous relief combined with the wine made Anakin want to melt into the other man's embrace, oblivious to the hot flow of tears soaking Obi-Wan's tunic.</p><p>"That is my wish, too, Anakin," Obi-Wan said with gentle concern. "But I think we need to talk."   </p><p>Anakin had no intention to break this embrace on his own will but didn't mind Obi-Wan guiding him towards the couch, an arm on Anakin's shoulder. They sat down side by side and Anakin couldn't help pressing a little closer, happy that Obi-Wan didn't move his arm away.</p><p>"I thought you wanted to spend the Solstice on Mandalore," Anakin said, biting his lip. "After all, it's a holiday for family and... loved ones."</p><p>"I assume this is the meaning of this holiday, yes," Obi-Wan agreed quietly.</p><p>Anakin met his eyes.</p><p>"Look," he said with brave and bitter honesty. "I don't expect you to love me back.  But I'm really glad that you decided to be here tonight."</p><p>Obi-Wan's eyes widened and his mouth twitched as if he tried to say something but didn't have the words.</p><p>"Anakin," he said after a pause and cleared his throat a few times. "Why... Why don't you expect me to... Love you?"</p><p>Anakin let out a humorless laugh. <em>Because you didn’t say it.</em></p><p>"Because you're the best Jedi I know, Master, and you are only attached to the Code.  And probably to some people on Mandalore. And that's okay."</p><p>Obi-Wan squeezed Anakin's shoulder, shaking him slightly.</p><p>"Anakin," he said and took a deep breath, like before plunging into an abyss. "I do... have feelings for you that go far beyond what I am supposed to have. And it bothers me far less than it should. I am... deeply attached to you. I thought that you knew that."</p><p>"No?" Anakin said holding his breath, not quite allowing himself to believe. "It's not like you've ever told me?"</p><p>He was almost afraid to look at Obi-Wan and see that his Master was making another sarcastic joke like did so often, but Obi-Wan was serious and his face seemed to be lit from within with emotion.    </p><p>"But... That night before I left for Mandalore..." he said in a voice that sounded a little rough, and a blush crept up his face. "I thought that... from what happened... you could infer that... I'm in love with you?"</p><p>Anakin's breath caught in his throat. It felt like he wasn't himself but a hero from a children's fairy tale his mother had told him, who was so beloved by the Force She had given him everything his heart secretly longed for.      </p><p>"No," he said with an elated grin, choked up with tears. "Apparently, I'm dumb."</p><p>"No, apparently, I am," Obi-Wan chuckled and his hand, lying on Anakin's shoulder, slid to the back of the younger man’s head, bringing him in for a long-awaited kiss.</p><p>It was a mere touch of lips against lips, but Anakin was trembling, sharply aware how much he had been longing for it, how many times he had replayed this in his memory during the weeks of Obi-Wan's absence.  It felt like they were reacquainting themselves with each other after that long unwelcome interruption. And now, after all of Anakin's doubts had been swept away, there was no underlying insecurity or fear, only an unwavering devotion shining like a star in his heart.</p><p>"I... kept being distracted by thoughts of you constantly on Mandalore," Obi-Wan murmured against Anakin’s lips, coarse whiskers ticklish on the tender skin. </p><p>Anakin laughed, light-headed. He had no reason to question the truthfulness of Obi-Wan’s words, and the Chancellor’s insinuations now seemed like some kind of Sith-induced delirium. Had Obi-Wan been thinking of him, too, lying wide awake at night and yearning for his touch? The thought made his face grow hot.</p><p>"How unfortunate for your mission, Master!" he teased.</p><p>"Indeed," Obi-Wan agreed with a snort and gently threaded his fingers through Anakin's hair, fingertips brushing feather-light against his scalp.      </p><p>Anakin relished the caress, throwing his head back a little, and through lowered eyelashes he could see that Obi-Wan was looking at him with a mixture of longing and awe. This brought a tingling sensation down his spine and a flirty smile on his face.</p><p>"But I bet you don't regret it?"</p><p>Before Obi-Wan could respond, Anakin caught his lips in another kiss, by no means chaste this time, sliding his tongue along the other man's, and shivered a little at the inarticulate noise Obi-Wan made.  Their tongues caressed each other with no intention of breaking apart, and as Obi-Wan tried to pull Anakin even closer, the younger man gladly complied, kicking off his boots and climbing on Obi-Wan's lap to straddle him. Anakin remembered at that moment that Solstice Night was the longest one in the year, and sent a little prayer of gratitude to the Force for the fact.</p><p>"I've missed you so much, Master," he confessed, trailing kisses along Obi-Wan's jaw and down his neck, where the edge of the tunic was damp from Anakin's own tears.</p><p>"Mmmm... Now have you, really?" Obi-Wan asked in an innocent tone.</p><p>Anakin looked up, confused, only to see a mischievous glint in Obi-Wan's eyes, and the realization that Obi-Wan was flirting back with him sent a sharp thrill through Anakin's entire body.</p><p>"Perhaps you will even care to show me how much?" Obi-Wan continued, tracing Anakin's bottom lip with his thumb.</p><p>They had been many things to each other and had communicated in different ways, but that playfulness and unbridled mutual desire was something completely new, and Anakin found himself unmoored in a most exhilarating way.</p><p>“Oh, I will,” he said eagerly and held Obi-Wan’s gaze, amazed to find the same fervent and endless love his heart was about to burst with mirrored in the other man’s eyes.      </p><p>A deep blush colored Obi-Wan’s face under Anakin’s intense and heated stare. “In that case, my dear Anakin, I’m all yours.”   </p><p>Anakin shuddered. Hearing Obi-Wan say that unlocked something in him, some kind of raw hunger and thirst he hadn’t even been aware of.      </p><p>“That s-sounds rather promising, Master,” he stuttered, his mouth running dry.</p><p>“Then enough talking,” Obi-Wan whispered, his hot breath on Anakin’s ear, and angled his head for another kiss. For an austere Jedi Master, Obi-Wan was a surprisingly good kisser, but Anakin chose not to dwell on wherever this could be coming from: he was the person Obi-Wan loved, and only that mattered.</p><p>This kiss was much hungrier than the previous one, deliciously uncivilized and messy, and Anakin’s mind went completely blank. He growled possessively, thrusting his tongue in Obi-Wan’s mouth, and was met with a low appreciative moan. Obi-Wan’s hands slid under the layers of Anakin’s tunics, roaming his shoulders and back, while Anakin was devouring his neck with needy and desperate kisses. He bit the tender flushed skin, leaving a mark, and smirked at Obi-Wan’s surprised gasp.</p><p>“Sorry, Master,” he said, not being sorry in the least. From the sidelong glance Obi-Wan gave him, he understood that his Master was aware of the lack of his repentance but didn’t mind it at all. In fact, he looked like he welcomed more unrepentant behavior from Anakin’s part. Even being the first person to fly the newest superfast starship at one of the Chancellor’s events hadn’t had Anakin so thrilled.</p><p>The first and, so far, only time they’d been together he’d been so high on adrenaline and overwhelmed with emotions he could barely remember anything but a flurry of kisses and caresses and a soul-deep fear that none of this might ever happen again. But now everything felt real. Obi-Wan had come back to him. Obi-Wan loved him. Obi-Wan wasn’t going anywhere. And the night was still young.</p><p>Ruling the galaxy couldn’t feel that good.</p><p>There were also discoveries to be made. Anakin hadn’t noticed before the sensitive spot on the base of Obi-Wan’s neck that made the man shiver under the assault of tongue and lips. Having fumbled apart the annoyingly intricate layers of tunics, he discovered that the color covering Obi-Wan’s face went far down his chest. A small white scar on his collarbone seemed another mystery. Anakin thought he could trace every scar on Obi-Wan's body down to an event Anakin considered to be a a personal failure on his part, not his Master's, but didn’t recall the history of this one. He’d ask another time, now he was too busy exploring Obi-Wan’s body, lean and muscled, the warm freckled skin smelling of cinnamon and sweat, smooth where it wasn’t scarred.      </p><p>This was much better than the Chancellor’s feast, and if Obi-Wan’s ragged breath and frantic hands stroking Anakin everywhere they could reach were any sign, Anakin could tell that his Master would have agreed even without having been invited to the party.</p><p>As Anakin was moving further down in his exploration, the angle got awkward at some point and he slid down to his knees, dipping his tongue in Obi-Wan’s navel, earning another gasp from the other man. Anakin looked up to meet the intense, darkened grey-blue eyes. Seeing Obi-Wan flushed and trembling under his touch sent liquid fire through Anakin’s veins. He loved this man so much he was going to prove it for the rest of his life, and he didn’t need any kriffing trees to know that his love would never die.</p><p>“I want you so much, Obi-Wan,” he breathed, pressing his palm to the outline of Obi-Wan’s arousal and stroking slightly, his eyes never leaving the other man’s. Obi-Wan’s pupils dilated and his blush turned a darker shade. Anakin thought he would never get enough of being the one who could do that to the stoic Jedi Master.</p><p>“I b-believe…” Obi-Wan stammered, his civilized manners obviously frayed, “I could say the same about… oh kriff.”</p><p>He didn’t finish the sentence as Anakin’s real hand slid beneath his pants and closed around him.</p><p>Anakin grinned. Suddenly he was thankful for all the wine he had had to drink earlier. It wasn’t that Anakin Skywalker had ever been a coward, but this was Obi-Wan, and everything about Obi-Wan was a very big deal for Anakin, the thought of a slightest misstep capable of reducing him to a nervous mess. The wine made things… simpler.</p><p>But obviously not simple enough if Anakin’s struggle to untie the uncooperative laces was any proof. He partly undid them, just enough to free Obi-Wan’s cock, earning a sharp intake of breath from the other man. Anakin’s heart was pounding. He had no experience in this particular kind of thing, but at least he could imagine what he himself would have liked. The Force was there, too, to guide him like She always did. Even though this situation could be the most unorthodox one so far.</p><p>Locking his eyes with Obi-Wan’s, Anakin slowly drew him into his mouth. He could see Obi-Wan’s pupils dilate as he tried to hold back a whimper and failed, and his hand, buried in Anakin’s hair, instinctively tightened its grip, almost painfully so. Apparently, Anakin was on the right path.</p><p>Emboldened by the other man’s reaction and impossibly turned on, Anakin started his experimentation, trusting his instincts and the Force to show him what Obi-Wan liked. It wasn’t really difficult, judging by the noises the Obi-Wan made, his ragged breath, the way he threw back his head, a light sheen of sweat moist on his exposed skin. Anakin added more tongue and pressure, his own cock straining with need. It felt like he could come right there and then just from seeing the pleasure on the other man’s face, feeling its heat and blaze through the Force.</p><p>He smirked triumphantly when a curse escaped his Master’s highly civilized mouth at one particularly vicious swipe of tongue. Anakin was going to give the man he loved as much pleasure as there could be in this universe and more.</p><p>“Anakin,” he heard Obi-Wan rasp. “Anakin, please… Wait.”</p><p>Surprised, Anakin looked up and marveled at the flustered look on Obi-Wan’s face, the disheveled hair and eyes, large and dark like he’d never seen them before.</p><p>“Wait a minute…” Obi-Wan continued, gripping Anakin’s forearms and pulling him up until the younger man was back on his lap and their faces were level.  Anakin frowned a little, anxious. Had he been doing something wrong?</p><p>He must have been projecting it into the Force because Obi-Wan shook his head slightly, pressing their foreheads together.</p><p>“You are perfect, my dear Anakin,” he murmured, his voice unsteady, and clasped their hands together, rubbing his thumb against the material of Anakin’s glove as if it were real flesh. “I just want us to be… together. If you don’t mind?”</p><p>Anakin didn’t. He remembered the thrill of their first time together, how gentle and almost shy Obi-Wan had been with him, how everything felt like learning a new kata, one of the rare ones that could be properly performed only with a partner who happened to be your perfect match. No, he didn’t mind it at all, quite the opposite. </p><p>He nodded his agreement vehemently, not trusting himself to speak, and took Obi-Wan’s lips in a searing, possessive kiss, a little surprised when Obi-Wan manoevered them so that now they changed places and his Master was straddling him, his arousal pressed against Anakin’s in a delicious torture.</p><p>“W-what,” Anakin stammered, breathless from the kiss and all the need that was driving him insane. “What do you have in mind?”</p><p>Obi-Wan’s fingers, seemingly defter than Anakin’s, undid the younger man’s pants in a swift motion, and a warm hand wrapped around Anakin’s cock.</p><p>“You,” Obi-Wan whispered hotly in his ear, “Inside me.”</p><p>Anakin’s heart skipped a beat. He blinked, surprised and overwhelmed, a wild surge of excitement counterweighted by a sharp stab of anxiety.</p><p>“Oh…” he managed, completely lost for words. “But…”</p><p>Obi-Wan must have sensed the conflict, as his hand rose to gently brush back the hair falling on Anakin’s face and stroke his cheek.  “Anakin?”</p><p>“It drives me crazy how much I want you,” Anakin confessed, leaning into the touch and briefly closing his eyes. “I do want this, I just… I’m not sure… What if… I do something wrong and…”</p><p>Obi-Wan cupped his chin. “Anakin,” he said earnestly “I just want to be with <em>you</em>. I’m certain we can figure it out, aren’t we together in this?”</p><p>Obi-Wan was right. They were together. This was the best part of everything. Anakin bit his lip. Kriff, he needed Obi-Wan so much it felt like he was going to die.</p><p>“Here,” Obi-Wan turned away for a moment, fumbling in his discarded pouch. A second later, he handed something to Anakin – a small bottle with Mandalorian letters on the label, and this time all of his seriousness was gone, eyes twinkling with mischief. “I assumed we could put this to good use.”</p><p>It was some kind of oil. Obi-Wan <em>had assumed</em>. He’d been keeping this in mind <em>on Mandalore</em>. Kriff, he’d been <em>planning</em> this all along. All of Anakin’s indecisiveness flew out of the window at that realization.</p><p>“Oh, you are so right, Master,” he growled, smothering the other man with kisses. Obi-Wan wrapped his hand around both their erections and tugged, and Anakin nearly cried out. With shaking hands, they both fumbled with Obi-Wan’s pants. Anakin ended up throwing them aside hastily, and they landed right in front of Artoo. The droid might have some interesting news to tell his companions in the hangar tomorrow, but Anakin trusted his little metal friend and, thank the Force, Obi-Wan didn’t notice, too busy devouring Anakin’s mouth, wrapping his knees around Anakin’s waist.</p><p>Anakin ran his hands along the pale skin of Obi-Wan’s thighs and cupped his ass, eliciting a low groan from the other man. Obi-Wan ground their hips together, making Anakin’s white-hot desire almost impossible to bear.</p><p>The Sith-cursed bottle wouldn’t open in his impatient fingers until Obi-Wan took it from him and unscrewed the cap with a small huff of laughter. The oil smelled of some sweet unfamiliar Mandalorian spice. Anakin spilled some on his palm, taking a deep breath. Careful, he pressed an oil-slicked finger against the other man’s entrance, his eyes never leaving Obi-Wan’s face.</p><p>“Anakin, please,” Obi-Wan cajoled, placing a small kiss on the corner of his lips.  “I need you. It’s not like I’m going to break, you know?”</p><p>No, his Master was far from fragile, Anakin knew that, but he was also the most precious and beloved being in the universe. Anakin had no idea if Obi-Wan was aware of that. He made sure to project it through the Force, and Obi-Wan’s eyes widened, a tremor running through him as the message sank in.</p><p>“This is all true,” Anakin breathed. Then, letting go of his reservations, he slipped a finger in, remembering what Obi-Wan had done their first and by far not last time together. He must have been a decent student, because the other man moaned and whimpered at his touch, his head pressed against Anakin’s shoulder while Anakin peppered his neck with frantic kisses. As their cocks rubbed together, he wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to last. Everything inside him was aflame, craving      Obi-Wan, but he was too afraid to rush things, and he just whimpered, throwing his head back on the couch and biting his lip. Out of the two of them, he had always been the impatient one, but for Obi-Wan’s sake he was prepared to learn patience.</p><p>And completely unprepared for     it when Obi-Wan positioned himself on top of him in one swift movement and slowly sank down. Anakin tried to protest but forgot how to breathe, enveloped by the velvety heat, his eyes boring into Obi-Wan’s. There was the still new, unfamiliar heat of desire in these familiar eyes, but beside it there was emotion that shone in the Force as the deepest, purest, the most devoted love, as though the two of them shared the same feeling that Anakin’s heart was overflowing with.</p><p>“<em>This</em> is what I had in mind, my dear Anakin,” Obi-Wan said hoarsely, wrapping his arms around Anakin’s neck in a tight and intimate embrace, and pressing their sweaty foreheads together.</p><p>They were so close, tangled in each other, their breath mingling, Force signatures entwined, it felt like they were one being. In the back of his dazed mind, Anakin wondered how he could have ever doubted that Obi-Wan loved him – even without the Force he was able to tell this, simply from the way the other man looked at him and trembled in his arms, willing to give all of himself to Anakin.</p><p>Anakin’s cock twitched almost painfully, but he stilled himself until Obi-Wan started to move, riding him first slightly, then harder. Anakin met him halfway with thrusts of his hips, hot searing pleasure tearing through his body. He wanted to tell Obi-Wan how good it felt but suddenly he couldn’t speak. Frantic, he searched through the Force until he found how to angle himself just right, hitting that spot inside the other man that made Obi-Wan cry out, losing the remnants of control. Satisfied with himself, Anakin made sure to do that over and over again and captured the swollen lips in a deep loving kiss, drinking in the moans that escaped Obi-Wan.</p><p>His thrusts became deeper and harder now, and somehow more erratic. He could feel that Obi-Wan was close and Anakin, too, could barely hold back himself.</p><p>“I love you,” he either said or thought, at this point he wasn’t sure. “I always will.”</p><p>Obi-Wan clasped his hand. “Anakin,” he said. “Oh, Anakin.”</p><p>Obi-Wan shuddered, and Anakin’s head exploded with the brightest fireworks coming from the other side of their bond. Anakin wasn’t far behind, a couple of more thrusts and he came hard, burying his face into Obi-Wan’s shoulder and muttering endearments in Huttese, ingrained in his mind since his early years.</p><p>Anakin closed his eyes and lost count of time, sprawled on the couch and barely able to move. All he could feel was the welcome weight of Obi-Wan’s body and the contentment humming in their bond. Obi-Wan stirred, moving aside and placing a kiss at the junction of Anakin’s neck and shoulder. Anakin opened a lazy eye and grinned at the sight of the other man: half naked, his hair an utter mess, and an expression of pure bliss on his face.</p><p>“You look pretty uncivilized, Master Kenobi,” he muttered.</p><p>“I believe you are in no position to judge,” Obi-Wan retorted.      </p><p>For some time, they snuggled comfortably in each other’s arms, Obi-Wan’s head resting on Anakin’s shoulder, Anakin placing small happy kisses to his hair. It was by far the best Solstice Anakin had ever had.</p><p>He must have been thinking aloud again, because the moment he thought about it, Obi-Wan raised his head and smiled.</p><p>“I was so distracted I forgot I have something for you!”</p><p>With a flicker of his fingers, Obi-Wan called the silvery box from the table to his hand and gave it to Anakin.</p><p>“Happy Solstice, Anakin! I hope you can use this to your utter satisfaction.”</p><p>What else Anakin could use to his <em>utter satisfaction</em> when he had Obi-Wan right beside him, he couldn’t fathom. He clicked open the lid and stared, but there was no mistake: it was a set of tools of different caliber and size, pure beskar shining brightly in the light of their room. Anakin had heard of the legendary craft of Mandalorian masters who created the finest tools to fix the armor of their rulers. This must have cost a fortune. Any mechanic in the galaxy could only dream of that, like Anakin had in the dingy rooms of Watto’s workshop. </p><p>Anakin swallowed a lump in his throat.</p><p>“Master,” he said, blinking back tears. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t even have a gift for you…”</p><p>Obi-Wan drew Anakin in his arms, burying a hand in his hair and brushing a thumb across his cheek to wipe away a sole tear.</p><p>“This is so untrue,” he said with some kind of reverent affection that choked up Anakin even more. “Your company is a gift that nothing in the galaxy can match.”</p><p>Sending the box back to the table with a wave of his hand, Anakin crushed Obi-Wan in a desperate embrace, burying his face in the crook of his neck. It seemed impossible to love this man even more than Anakin already did, but somehow Obi-Wan had a talent to make impossible things possible.</p><p>“I’m quite surprised you are not running off to try these with your girlfriend,” Obi-Wan murmured with mirth. Anakin shook with silent laughter. Delta Six and him definitely seemed to have this kind of relationship, given the amount of time they spent alone in close quarters.</p><p>“She can wait,” he said, slightly relaxing his grip but still holding Obi-Wan close. “There are other things I want to try with my… lover.” The word felt new on his lips but absolutely right.</p><p>Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow suggestively. “What about a shower then? Given the uncivilized state we’re in…”</p><p>Anakin smirked. “Of course, Master, but I can’t promise you’ll get more civilized afterwards…”</p><p>The shower was a good idea. There was also Obi-Wan’s bed. And Anakin’s. And Anakin could think of a couple of other exciting places in their quarters, his imagination running wild. A dreamy and flirtatious smile started forming on his lips when suddenly he sobered up, noticing the apologetic look on Obi-Wan’s face.</p><p>“What is it, Master?” he said, apprehension coiling in his stomach.</p><p>Obi-Wan tucked a stray curl of hair behind Anakin’s ear. “I wasn’t lying to you when I said that the mission got complicated. I have to go back to Mandalore tomorrow morning.”</p><p>Oh kriff. Not that again. That planet was going to take Obi-Wan from him right after Anakin allowed himself to believe that the man he loved was his. This wasn’t fair. He was starting to hate Mandalore fervently.       </p><p>“But…” Obi-Wan continued, his voice soft and placating, “it has just occurred to me that, given the complicated nature of this mission, the Council must agree that now it requires the presence of two Jedi, not one. Would you care to join me? Sundari is not a bad place and…”</p><p>“Obi-Wan,” Anakin interrupted, relieved and elated. “I will follow you into a nest of gundarks, and you know that.”</p><p>Obi-Wan smiled fondly.    </p><p>“It’s settled then. By the way…” he trailed off and a shy look appeared in his eyes. “There’s a curious tree on Mandalore called in the basic biological classification <em>arbor argentea. </em>It starts to bloom right before Solstice, and… I’ll tell you more about it when we arrive,” he finished abruptly, looking away.</p><p>Anakin’s heart swelled in his chest, and he took Obi-Wan’s hand, squeezing his fingers. This night that had such a dreadful start turned out far beyond Anakin’s wildest expectations. He remembered some people talking about “Solstice miracles” and sent a quick prayer of gratitude to the Force.</p><p>“Yes, Master,” he said quietly. “I can’t wait. Happy Solstice!”</p>
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